LANGHORNE SLIM Courtesy of Dualtone Records
3/18
FRI 3/18
MARCH 3/18-3/19
LANGHORNE SLIM, RIDDY ARMAN
‘STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK’ IN CONCERT
Langhorne Slim, born Sean Scolnick, pulls from roadhouse Americana, honky-tonk blues and pulpit-pounding soul to craft rollicking tunes. By 2019, Scolnick’s clinical depression and addiction came to a head, so he entered a program and found a path toward healing, a decision documented in “Panic Attack” with the lyrics: “I called a healthcare professional/ Wanna speak to someone confidentially/ Don’t know just how I’m feelin’/ But I’m feelin’ feelings exponentially.” That tune and 18 other songs make up Langhorne Slim’s latest album Strawberry Mansion. Previously fogged in a cloud of bravado, Scolnick’s soul-searching now comes into sharp focus. More: $25; March 18, 8 p.m.; Visulite Theatre, 1615 Elizabeth Ave.; visulite.com
The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra provides live accompaniment to The Empire Strikes Back, the second film in the Star War franchise behemoth. In 1980 it wasn’t certain that the sequel to the light-hearted breakout success of 1977 would succeed. Director Irvin Kerschner’s vision was more character-driven and considerably darker than the first film’s, and that more somber tone and increased depth is reflected in John Williams’ score. The composer’s penchant for Wagnerian leitmotifs reaches its apotheosis here with “The Imperial March.” It’s Darth Vader’s theme and the soundtrack for militaristic bad guys everywhere. More: $56 and up; March 18-19; Belk Theater, 130 N. Tryon St.; blumenthalarts.org
‘STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK’ Film still
3/18-3/19
MARCH MARCH 3/18-5/29 3/22-3/27 STATE ARTS 2021 SOUTHERN PRIZE AND STATE FELLOWS
3/18-5/29
Jesus H. Christ! Is this musical phenomenon really a half century old? This resurrection of the biblical chestnut has garnered stellar reviews and myriad accolades. The secret to the production’s success is that it’s smart about the show’s history, and therefore pays particular attention to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s music. JCS began as a rock album first and a hit stage show second. Peruse the 1971 album’s credits and you’ll find Deep Purple singer Ian Gillan as Jesus alongside guitar ace and John Cale sideman Chris Spedding, who produced the Sex Pistols’ first demos. More: $25 and up; March 22-27; Belk Theater, 130 N. Tryon St.; blumenthalarts.org
‘JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR’ Courtesy of Blumenthal Arts
3/22-3/27
Pg. 17 - March 9-22, 2022
MARIELLE PLAISIR Promotional photo
This exhibition presents the nine 2021 fellowship recipients of the South Arts Southern Prize & State Fellows project, which launched in 2017. The artists here hail from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, and have first-hand experience with issues surrounding ethnicity, identity, colonialism and gender. The 2021 Southern Prize winner, Marielle Plaisir, creates lavish artworks populated with contemporary and historical figures against lush, Caribbean-inspired backdrops. Southern Prize Finalist Fletcher Williams III addresses Southern history and culture using found and natural materials. More: $5-$9; March 18–May 29; Gantt Center, 551 S. Tryon St.; ganttcenter.org
‘JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR’
